Talk:Journeying/@comment-3561967-20110502214754
Journeying 5/02/11 One of the moist intriguing elements of shamanism is journeying. In a journey the shaman is able to enter the lower of the three worlds of the shamanic cosmology. The other two worlds are the middle and upper worlds. The lower one physically resembles our known middle world in every way, the difference being that it transcends the physical laws of our world. It is a world of imagination, where animals and trees communicate, where you can fly with eagles and swim with fishes. It is never-never land, down the rabbit hole and over the rainbow, all rolled into one. It is where shamans journey to find the answers to their questions about healing and counseling. The upper world is the world of Spirit, i.e., Heaven. To enter this lower world requires that you be able to suspend all your known beliefs and transcend the familiar context that you've lived in all your life. This is not possible for many. It is equivalent to losing control, going insane and being in an altered state without medical assistance. It is a totally benevolent and virtual paradise, simple and undefiled. It's a miracle is that shamans from every country in the world, in the Andes, the Himalayas, Siberia, the plains of North America. They all discovered this realm with no communication with each other. The journey is accompanied by the beat of a drum. The frequency of the drumbeat is the same as the frequency of the Theta dream state. In this dream state, the shaman enters to the lower world and encounters his power animal. This animal came to him in a journey and is his personal guide in the lower world. The shaman shares many of the characteristics with his animal; the hawk, the undisputed king of the air, brings the power of clarity of vision; the feral cat. jaguar, tiger, etc, brings courage and clarity in chaos; the humming bird brings joy, happiness and love. The shaman asks his animal and the animal answers, sometimes in words, sometimes in visions. A shaman may find a special place of power in his journeying. This is a place where the shaman feels most grounded and powerful. Many shamans have an ancestor guide, who usually is a past life that the shaman lived before and who makes accessible to him all of the wisdom that the shaman acquired in that lifetime. Shamans are healers. Some shamans specialize in healing with medicinal herbs. They consider these plants to be plant allies and have a special relationship with them. They also use many kinds of healing rituals for their patients. In soul retrieval for instance, he helps the patient to recall some painful event buried in the past that is causing recurring detrimental behavior patterns for him today, e.g., irrational anger, worthlessness, addictions, even diseases, and helps in healing and releasing these subconscious, buried memories. In aboriginal societies, shamans were called medicine men and they maintained the health of the tribe. They also were spiritual counselors, psychiatrists and arbitrators in any conflicts that might arise between tribal members. They also were valued by the chieftain in leading his tribe. Shamans of today, whether raised in tribal traditions or who have studied with other shamans, continue in these many roles and are gradually being recognized as valuable healers and counselors in today's world.